It would appear that Port Adelaide continue to upset journalists with their performances in 2013.
An unbeaten start to the season, coupled with Adelaide struggling to live up to their pre-season hype meant that the city of Adelaide was living in an Alice in Wonderland world, where up was down and nothing was quite as it should have been.
After four straight losses those who write about football are waiting patiently for the Power to implode. Much to the disappointment of many they aren’t.
Commentators suggest that after Round 8 there is a historical trend that the top eight of the ladder would remain largely unchanged with two teams dropping out, being replaced by two from outside.
Realistic Port fans are aware that a finals berth this year would be a blessing. Nobody sporting the Alberton version of black and white went into this season expecting games at the business end of September.
However looking at the ladder and the upcoming fixtures the question that needs to be asked is ‘will port trouble the scorers in the finals?’
My honest held belief is that they will, despite the shrieking from the Adelaide press that Port’s finals dreams are in tatters.
There is a finals dream at Alberton, but much like I dream that one day Lily Allen will find herself in Adelaide and we will live happily ever after near to the beach, if that doesn’t happen I’m not going to spend the rest of my life complaining that nothing goes my way, and that dream will continue. It most certainly isn’t destroyed.
When the Power play finals in 2013 it will be great, it will be the pinnacle of a season, which is the start of a re-building phase at Alberton. Finals will be a bonus.
A chance to give Jake Neade and Chad Wingard a taste of the pointy end of a season. If it doesn’t happen then there is nothing lost, Ken Hinkley just settles down into season two of establishing a culture at one of the most successful sporting clubs in the world.
The culture of winning at Alberton was eroded over a period of five years. A club that ‘exists to win premierships’ finally won one in 2004.
In 2007 they faced Geelong with a squad that remained largely unchanged from that September day that ended Leigh Matthew’s dream of four-in-a-row.
It wasn’t until 2011 that the premiership group was whittled down to a small number.
Port Adelaide was still hanging on to those days with white knuckles and a wistful look in their eyes hoping that the romance of Matthew Primus and Josh Carr would bring silverware back to the hallowed halls of Alberton.
It didn’t and much to the chagrin of some journalists Port Adelaide FC has shaken off the patriarchal culture of a couple of years ago and sweeping reforms have led to the appointment of a brand new president and the appointment of a non-Port Adelaide coach.
These are all steps in the right direction and given chance Port Adelaide can return to the pinnacle of Australian Rules football, not because they are entitled to it, or because the club exists to win premierships, but because they deserve it.
The history of a football club is important, and should ever be forgotten, however that history does not automatically give you a ticket to the end-of –season ball.
Is Port Adelaide vintage 2013 worthy of a place in the finals, the answer is yes, based on the fact that they are doing very little wrong, both on the field and off.
The things that aren’t going so well for the Power are fixable, add to that the fact that there are no excuses coming from the coaching group, just realistic analysis of what is happening.
Australia is a land of tall poppies and nothing pleases people more than a club with history struggling. This season is the first stage of a very long journey for the Alberton faithful.
A journey that will see them move stadium and hopefully start to build a squad around Hartlett and Wines.
A journey that will have ups and downs, one that will have breathtaking views and days you wish you hadn’t got out of bed in equal measure.
This Port Adelaide fan doesn’t care if they finish outside of the eight come September, I’m enjoying the development of a team that I can be proud of.
This group of players doesn’t look to blame; it takes ownership of their own failings and looks to improve.
It is a group that doesn’t expect to win premierships; it is a group that wants to earn them.
So take a deep breath and steel yourself for the second half of the season.
A season where ten wins is a distinct possibility and that if Ken and his charges can fix the first quarter then finals stop being a dream and become a probability.
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